Use the Internet to Find a Job – Part 2: The Essentials

The main advantages of using the Internet as job search tool are that it is accessible 24 hours a day; you can apply to any location, and control a more detailed job search.

• Bookmark all the good job board sites so you are constantly checking for newest job postings that might not come through in an alert. Some postings may have a different job title tailored towards a company that might not use universal job titles.
• Set up alerts on both company portals and niche and general job boards. Once a position opens up with your title, you receive an email instantly and you can have an edge on competitors by applying that same day the job was posted before the next 2,000 resumes come through. Also, set up Google and Yahoo News alerts for your specific title/industry and general job hunting techniques. Use relevant keywords such as "job hunting tips", "mechanical engineer" and "automotive".
• Search company portals, niche and general job boards and blogs/chat-rooms relating to your industry to find employment opportunities.
• Instead of going to the major job boards (e.g., CareerBuilder, Monster), start by using Indeed.com or SimplyHired.com which are job board aggregators; they search jobs on all the other job boards including company web sites. Also use Craigslist which is a great place to find local job postings in your area.
• Use the indexers and search engines to begin locating resources specific to your occupation and field. Use these sites to locate specific organizations and companies to contact and to look for even smaller, more exclusive collections of job listings.
• Use general search terms such as “job,” “opening,” “blog,” and your industry’s terms to locate hidden or deeper-result sites that might have industry experts who speak about everything from new equipment to who is hiring. Try multiple combinations of words used in your industry until you find all the information you can digest. Learn the labor market trends on who is laying-off and who is hiring. Know your industry!